Strange
by ellikanellika
Summary: Warren was working at Paper Lanter, as usuall... But the strange thing that happened to him that day was not Layla droping by, but Layla droping by the second time that day - just an hour later, after her first visit. Why is she behaving so strangely?


''Oh, Hippy... What's up?'' asked Warren, his hair back in a ponytail, an apron around his waist and a towel hanging down his shoulder. His muscular body could not be hidden in his waiter-clothes, that is why many women and young girls not only glanced or looked at him, but also stared at him openly.

Well, as if that did not happen every day.

It did! So, he actually did not notice it. Anymore.

His eyes were strangely shining, as he looked at her, giving away a warm and welcome aura. Not that anyone would mention that, but it was true! Especially, when it came to her…

He seemed surprised to see her here... again.

''Hey, Warren!'' she started with a smile and continued with a goofy green: ''What? Am I not allowed to come here, when nothing's up?'' She played with a curl of her long silky red hair and watched him with shiny eyes. Her usually pale face was unusual rosy and she was kind of ... exited? She was again sitting on her usual spot, behind her table in the Paper Lantern, the Chinese restaurant.

He did not know if she noticed, but the flower on the window next to her, started spreading its green and slim stalk, growing very fast and creating many buds that were about to blossom.

''Well, not that you have already been here ... an hour ago...''

She must be nervous... or something. He concluded and sat down on the other side of the table. Her smile grew and the flowers buds started to open.

''Um, yeah... I kind of ... wanted to come back ... here...'' she said and blushed.

Blushed!

Warren really was surprised now.

He lit the candle on the table with his finger and then looked at her: ''What's the problem?'' he asked with a gentle voice, his eyes curiously shining.

Layla started to play not only with her hair but also with her fingers. ''Well ... um ... I kind of ... was thinking something ... when I went home an hour ago. Actually, I was thinking the same thing, whenever I went home ... from here...''

Warren did not know, what she wanted to say, but had a feeling that it is going to be something ... strange...

''And that was?'' he asked with his deep voice that shook her heart as if he was holding it in his hand.

She looked him in the eye, her heart pounding loudly against her chest, heat bumping up her cheeks and her voice getting weak.

''Well... You know... Um... These days, while I was walking, I was thinking about us...'' she started and saw Warren get wide eyes.

''Us?'' he asked, his hopes growing.

''Yeah, us. You know, Will, Zach, Ethan, Magenta...'' as she named all the names of her friends, his heart fell.

And his hopes, too. With his hand, he went through his hair and almost ruined his ponytail.

He could imagine, her walking down the street, trees on each side of the path, leafs falling down and flying with the warm spring wind, which also made her hair dance. Her eyes were most probably lost in the view, shining in the light; and her smile was there, reflecting her inner peace and calmness.

Yeah, that was the picture he had in mind.

''...and well, I kind of figured out that I come here very often and it was strange, because I never noticed that whenever I had a problem or was just happy ... I came here.'' He heard her talking on.

''Yeah, I noticed that.'' He said and smiled a little.

Damn… That charming smile. It really got to her. She could just grab his face and keep it for herself forever.

''Yeah, I came here first, when I was small, with my parents. And then I came here with my friends very often. And then I came here, because I really liked the food, which I still do, of course. And then with Will sometimes; but that can't be counted like that, because I often ended being by myself. Actually, always, I think. Then I came here again for the food, and...'' she blushed like a tomato and the flower next to her started to bloom. The buds finally showed different kinds of colours, slowly opening themselves and spreading a nice scent.

Warren noticed that and looked at her with wide eyes: ''You like someone, who is often here?''

''Well, I don't know...'' they bloomed with a soft explosion into huge and beautiful blossoms, all colours of the rainbow.

Warren saw that her emotions went wild. ''Did flowers grow whenever you talked about Will?'' he asked, just to make sure.

She looked at him innocently: ''Not that I know, I haven't really noticed that. But I'm pretty sure not. Why?''

Warren just glanced at the direction of the flower and shrugged. When Layra saw, what she created, she became so embarrassed that the flower started to spread again; many blossoms grew and exploded with a 'phiuuu', creating a wonderful flower, with many colourful blossoms, grown together in the shape of a heart.

''Iii...it's nnot thaat... I mean, I'm not madly in love... I mean I'm not in the state to say it. Or talk about it. Meg joked that I'm totally hopeless, already beyond just in love or something. I mean I'm not ready to already marry you or something...'' she did not notice, what she had said, but Warren did. His heart jumped and his cheeks flashed. He knew she spoke hypothetically, but, well...

''Marry me?'' he asked confused.

''Marry you?'' she became confused, but then it finally came to her: ''Oooh, I ddidn't mean it like that. I mean, I didn't mean you, to marry you. Not that I don't like you or something, I do like you for your information, very much that is, but marry...'' She already did not know, what she was talking, and the flower next to her started a new explosion of blossoms.

Warren was not only surprised, but also amused of how easily she is to read. Well, you could actually see it in front of your eyes – next to her.

She did not dare to look him in the eye. She was too embarrassed, and most probably he did not understand a word, she said.

''Um... Ii... I have to go...'' she was about to stand up and walk out of the restaurant, as he stopped her by taking her hand in his, gently, and making her sit down again. She shyly glanced at him and saw a happy smile on his face. He had rosy cheeks and his hands were shaking a little, but he managed to say it as cool as ever: ''Hey, um Layla... Would you go out with me?''

She had almost a heart attack, but managed to say: ''Sssure.''

They were as red as hell in the face, but also very happy. That is why they almost forgot about their surroundings.

And that was when all the women and girls in the restaurant lost it.


End file.
